In the commercial distribution of many products, including most beverages, the products are packaged in containers of varying sizes. The containers can be made of paper, metal or plastic, in the form of cartons, cans, bottles, Tetra Pak™, packages, waxed carton packs, and other forms of containers. In most packaging operations, the containers are moved along conveying systems, usually in an upright position, with the opening of the container facing vertically up or down. The containers are moved from station to station, where various operations, such as filling, capping, labeling, sealing, and the like, are performed. Containers, in addition to their many possible formats and constructions, may comprise many different types of materials, such as metals, glasses, ceramics, papers, treated papers, waxed papers, composites, layered structures, and polymeric materials.
During filling and transport of the containers the conveyors may vary speed, turn corners or be inclined up or down. When the bottles are held stationary, such as at a filling station, the conveyor must move along under the bottles with minimum resistance. If the friction between the bottles and the conveyors or between the bottles is too great, the bottles may stick together and block the conveyor line or tip over. Thus, it is required to lubricate the conveyor and even the containers so that the containers can glide past one another or allow the conveyor surface to glide underneath the bottles without blocking or tipping. On the other hand, the friction cannot be so little that the bottles cannot couple with and move with the conveyor when intended, such as up or down inclines, when completing a sorting operation or when released from a filling station, or the like. If the containers tip or otherwise do not operate properly upon the conveyor, the conveyor may be halted to remedy the problem or may become inefficient in moving the containers or the containers may leave the conveyor surface and fall on the floor of the facility.
In addition, where food products are being processed, the conveyor is subject to the buildup of deposits from food products being spilled from the containers and onto the containers themselves, the conveyor surfaces, the other structural elements of the conveyor and other parts of the facility.
Accordingly, conveyor track and container lubricant compositions are needed which will impart the proper surface characteristics to the containers and the surface of the conveyor to provide the necessary frictional relationship. Lubricating solutions are often used on conveying systems during the filling of containers with, for example, beverages. There are a number of different requirements that are desirable for such lubricants. For example, the lubricant should provide an acceptable level of lubricity for the system. It is also desirable that the lubricant have a viscosity which allows it to be applied by conventional pumping and/or application apparatus, such as by spraying, roll coating, wet bed coating, and the like, commonly used in the industry. It is desirable for the lubricant to possess biocidal and cleaning properties where needed to prevent microorganism growth in the lubricant and on the conveyor system and maintain cleanliness.